I Am Not Alice
by moviefan-92
Summary: An alternate more conclusive ending to the anime, where Shinku gains all seven Rosa Mysticas, Barasuishou really is the seventh doll, and Enju really is Rozen. Better explanation inside. COMPLETE.


**(A/N: Just finished watching the **_**'Rozen Maiden'**_** series. It was good, but I was somewhat dissatisfied with the end. So I made an alternate ending. In this story, Shiku is the victor in the Alice Game, Barasuishou really is the seventh doll, and Enju really is Rozen. Hope you like it****.****)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**"I AM NOT ALICE"**

"Please," Jun begged, "stop fighting. Just let her go."

Shinku, the fifth of the Rozen Maiden dolls, looked down at her wicked sister. The one eyed doll stared back with an evil smirk on her face. She was just begging Shinku to end her life and take her Rosa Mystica.

"It's all her fault." Shinku seethed, her normal high-class manner laced with spite. "She's responsible for all this. Suiseiseki, Suigintou, Kanaria, she killed them all. She turned Souseiseki against us. She deserves to be punished!"

"But if you do this, you'll be playing right into her hands." Jun told her. "You said you wanted to put an end to the Alice Game. You said you didn't want to fight. And you shouldn't have to. Sisters shouldn't fight like this."

Barasuishou glanced at Jun. "Do not interfere." She looked back at Shinku. "This is what the Rozen Maidens were meant to do. Only by obtaining all the Rosa Mysticas can we become Alice. Then we will have Father's love. That's why we fight. Don't you want Father's love, Shinku?"

Shinku glared at her. But her words were true. That was what she wanted. That's all she and the other Rozen Maidens ever wanted, their father's love.

And a few feet away, their father stood watching. There was no expression on his face, not even as he watched his beloved daughter's slaughter each other so they could become his Alice, his true daughter.

Jun's gaze shifted to the doll maker. How could Rozen allow this to happen? Was this really what he wanted?

His question was answered as Rozen's eyes narrowed slightly. "Finish it."

Shinku's fist clenched, and the red light she held in her hand grew in intensity. Barasuishou continued to watch, not seeming to care that she was seconds away from death.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked. "Hurry up and end it. You didn't hesitate to defeat Hinaichigo or Suigintou."

Shinku's eyes flashed angrily and she raised her hand, preparing to strike. "Shut up!"

"Shinku, no!" Jun shouted. "It's not worth it. Don't you remember how you regretted killing Suigintou? Are you going to make the same mistake again?"

Shinku froze. Yes, she still remembered how much it tore her apart to have to end the life of the first of the Rozen Maidens. The relief of finding her sister revived had helped remove the torment that had consumed her, but she would not be granted that reprieve again.

"There's been enough killing." Jun continued. "Just stop it now, and we can go home."

The light Shinku held faded away and she lowered her hand. She backed away from Barasuishou, letting her sister up. "Yes, I would like to go home." She turned to Jun with tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Jun."

Jun gave her a smile and held his arms out for her. Shinku smiled and began making her way over to him. As she walked away, Barasuishou sat up, looking somewhat disappointed. "So you're going to shun Father's love? Deny you're chance of becoming Alice?" She chuckled. "What a fool you are. That's why you'll never be Alice." She glanced at her sister. "You don't have what it takes to earn Father's love. The only one worthy of becoming Alice…" a purple crystal dagger appeared in her hands, "is me!"

"Shinku!" Jun shouted as Barasuishou lunged at her.

Just as Barasuishou stabbed forward, Shinku whirled around. She swung her cane, knocking it into Barasuishou's dagger. Barasuishou kept moving forward as the dagger was knocked backwards. Both she and Shinku gasped as the dagger pierced her chest.

The cane dropped from Shinku's hand. She looked horrified by what she had done. "No… it can't be… I didn't mean to…"

Barasuishou stared down at the dagger in her chest. Trembling, she turned to Rozen, holding out her arms pleadingly. "Father… save me…"

But Rozen showed no interest in her, his gaze fixated on Shinku. "And so, at long last, the Alice Game comes to an end. Now Alice shall be born."

A look of heartbreaking betrayal appeared in Barasuishou's eyes. "Father… why?"

Rozen looked down at her, a hint of disgust in his sad eyes. "You have failed. You are not worthy of becoming Alice."

A look of hurt passed over Barasuishou's face. "Father… You said… I was… the most beautiful… Was I not… the most worthy… of becoming… Alice…?"

Rozen's eyes narrowed. "A one-eyed doll becoming my Alice? No, my Alice is perfect in everyway. You are nothing more than a pile of junk."

Barasuishou was shocked. Tears began pouring down her face as she reached out for him. "Father…"

And then she collapsed, the crystal dagger being pushed further into her chest. Jun and Shinku looked away, unable to stand the sight of the dying doll as the dagger burst from her back.

Barasuishou's body began to glow. From out of her body emerged four Rosa Mysticas. They floated over to Shinku and sank into her body. She was now the only surviving Rozen Maiden, and was now in possession of all seven Rosa Mysticas.

"Barasuishou…" Shinku muttered tearfully. "I'm sorry. You were…my sister too."

Jun watched the doll with great sorrow in his eyes. "Shinku…"

The sound of applause interrupted the heartbreaking moment. The two looked up to see Rozen clapping as he approached them. Though he was smiling now, the smile did not reach his eyes, which were still filled with deep sadness.

"Congratulations, Shinku." He said. "The Alice Game is now over. You are the winner."

Shinku hung her head, looking not at all happy about winning. Infuriated, Jun stepped forward to confront Rozen. "That's all you have to say? You forced your daughters to kill each other, and for what, to become Alice? What the hell does that even mean?"

"It means," Rozen replied, "that she will now truly become my daughter. It means she will have my undying love." With a kind smile, he held out his hand to Shinku. "Come to me now, my beloved daughter. Come to me… Alice."

Shinku looked up at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Father…"

Slowly she made her way over to him, holding out her hand to take his.

"Shinku, stop!" Jun shouted.

She did, but she continued to look at Rozen longingly. The doll maker's gaze shifted to Jun, and he frowned disapprovingly.

Jun was shaking with grief and fury. This was wrong. He had known it from the beginning. He couldn't let this happen. It just wasn't right. "Don't go with him! He says he loves you, but he's really nothing more than a heartless bastard. What kind of father demands that his children _murder _each other in order for them to receive his love?"

Rozen's eyes narrowed. "Do not speak to me as though you understand. This is why they were created. This is how they will receive my love."

"You're not God!" Jun shouted. "You don't get to decide that. You have absolutely no right to do this to them!"

"They are just dolls." Rozen replied. "Nothing but imperfect specimen. I told you before, unless a doll is perfect, it's a failure. And failures are nothing more than junk. Each of the Rozen Maiden dolls were imperfect in their own way. But now, my little Shinku has become perfect. And I shall now make her complete. She shall now become Alice." He looked down at the doll. "Is that not what you've always wanted?"

Shinku hung her head sadly. "I… I…"

"No it's not!" Jun shouted, knowing what was really inside her heart. "That's not what any of them wanted. All they wanted was their father's love. And you refused to give it to them unless they kill each other. I don't even think you're capable of love. Just because they're not good enough in your eyes, you condemn them to Oblivion. Do you even know how much the others are suffering right now? Trapped all alone eternal darkness and emptiness; that's just terrible. Anyone who can do that doesn't know how to love! You're a selfish creep who doesn't care about anyone or anything besides what you want!"

Rozen stared at him for several long moments, his expression neutral. Finally, he shook his head, his empty eyes locking with Jun's. "You are quite wrong, boy. Regardless of what you think, I am capable of love. I have loved as deeply as anyone."

Jun shook his head. "I don't believe it."

"You know nothing."

"Then tell me!" Jun demanded, his eyes challenging the doll maker. "I have a right to know. Explain to me how you can do this? Why you do this? Just who the hell are you, Rozen? What is the Alice Game? What ends were Shinku and the others trying to achieve?"

Again Rozen was silent, seeming to consider Jun's words. When he seemed to come to a decision, he closed his eyes and sighed. "It is not fair for you to judge me in your ignorance. If you wish to know my story, then I shall tell." A small smile crept up his face as he recalled fond memories. "A long time ago, I was but a simple doll maker trying to make my way in the world. And I did indeed love back then. I loved someone more than anything else in the world. My beloved daughter."

Jun's eyes narrowed. "Alice."

"Yes." Rozen replied, sounding tired. "She was perfect in every way. I absolutely adored her. My little girl. My angel. My Alice." Up until now, he had been smiling, but then his smile turned into a sad frown. "But one day, when she was just six years old, she got sick. I tried to find a cure for her. I went to all the best doctors, but none of them could seem to help her. She just kept getting worse. And then, one day, she died. Died in my very arms."

"Father…" Shinku whispered, her eyes filled with tears. She could feel the pain of her father's sadness, and it was overwhelming.

Rozen looked at his hands, as if imagining that he was holding his daughter. "Even after she passed on, I held her. She had become cold and lifeless in my arms. Just like a doll. Just like all those others I created. Frozen, unmoving, empty, completely devoid of life. It was more than I could bear. And so, I vowed to find a way to beat death. To keep moving, even as the world passed by and died around me. And that's when I created Laplace no Ma."

The humanoid white rabbit suddenly appeared by his side. He had no expression on his face, but his eyes were lit up in amusement.

"Laplace," said Rozen, "is my own artificial spirit."

Both Jun and Shinku gasped.

"Your own…"

"Artificial spirit…"

Laplace bowed. "At your service."

A small grin crept up Rozen's face. "Very different from your Hollier, Hinaichigo's Berrybell, and the others, but he still suited my purpose. It's through him that I've gained eternal life. He holds my very soul."

Jun looked at the large rabbit. "So, he's a doll too?"

"Technically." Said Laplace, with another bow.

Rozen gave no indication that he was even aware of the rabbit's presence. "I had achieved what I set out to do. I had obtained eternal life." Sadness filled his eyes again. "But… as the years went by, I began to realize that something was missing. All the joy in my life was gone. I may have had eternal life, but I felt dead. I was empty inside. However, it didn't take long for me to realize what was wrong. My life just wasn't worth living without my beloved daughter. Without her, the world was a cold empty place."

It didn't take much for Jun to figure out the rest. "So you tried to create a replacement."

"Yes." Rozen admitted. "It now became my life's ambition to create the perfect girl. My first attempt was an utter failure."

"Suigintou." Shinku whispered.

"Nothing more than a pile of junk that couldn't accept the truth." Rozen replied. "Although she did prove to be useful. After all, it was her that moved the Alice Game along. But she was still nothing more than junk. However," he now had a look of pride on his face, "the next six were closer to what I wanted. But each one of them was short of becoming Alice. So I devised a way to take all their best qualities and bring them together. All the nearly perfect pieces would come together to create one perfect piece. And now, here she is, my Alice." He held out his arms. "Now you know. So come to me, my daughter. I will make you complete, and you shall be loved."

Shinku looked conflicted. She was created to become Alice, and now here was her chance. But if she did, her sisters would be lost in darkness forever.

But she would have her father's love. The one thing she had believed for the longest time that was the only thing that ever mattered.

"That's a load of crap."

Shinku gasped and turned to Jun. Rozen looked mildly irritated with the boy while Laplace continued to watch with interest, curious as to how this would play out.

"Just listen to yourself." Jun continued. "How can a perfect girl be born from the deaths of others? From forcing sisters to fight each other? Nothing good can come from that!"

Rozen's eyes narrowed. "Who are you to question me? You are nothing more than a medium."

"I may be just a medium," Jun replied, "but at least I can see Shinku and the others for what they are. You think they're not worthy of your love because they're not perfect in your eyes. Well you've got a really warped sense of what love is." He looked at Shinku with tears in his own eyes. "Shinku, forgive me for saying so, but it sounds like this man doesn't love you or your sisters in the least. What he loved was what you could become. It's _your_ love that's _he's_ not worthy. In fact," he locked eyes with Rozen, "I don't think you really even loved your real daughter. What you loved was the idea of a perfect daughter, and that's what you thought Alice was. Now that she's gone, you're trying to replace her, to find something else you see as perfect to love. If Alice wasn't perfect in your eyes, I wonder if you would have even loved her at all."

"Silence, boy!" Rozen snapped angrily, showing genuine emotion for once. "How dare you presume to know my heart!"

"Because you're heart is empty in my eyes. And nothing you say can change the way I feel about that. Just like nothing can change the way you feel." He wiped away his tears. "Just tell me one thing. What made Shinku and the others so imperfect, so flawed that you couldn't care for them?"

"They were flawed." Rozen explained, as if this were obvious.

Jun shook his head. "I don't buy that! So they were flawed. So what? No one is perfect. We're not supposed to be perfect. We're supposed to make mistakes. It's so we can learn and become better people. It helps us grow and makes us who we are. The fact that we're imperfect is what makes us perfect. The only thing here that's flawed is your love."

"You know nothing of my love!"

"That may be true," Jun admitted, "but you're not the only one who can love. As for me…" he hesitated, seeming to build up his courage, "I love Shinku exactly the way she is!"

There was a shocked gasp from Shinku as she covered her mouth in surprise. Rozen's expression was emotionless, and Laplace's eyes widened in genuine interest. As for Jun, he suddenly seemed to become aware of what he said and blushed profoundly.

"Uh… that is… I… um…"

More tears were welling up in Shinku's eyes, but this time for a completely different reason. "Jun, is that true?"

Jun looked away, scratching the back of his head shyly. Too embarrassed to speak, he merely nodded.

A smile crept up Shinku's face and she wiped her eyes. Slowly she turned to Rozen, certain of her decision. "I'm sorry, Father. But I can't be your Alice. I'm happy the way I am. I just want things to go back to normal. I want my sisters back. I want to continue living with Jun. I want to eat Nori's flower topped hamburgers and drink her tea. I want to watch Detective Kun Kun with everyone. I want all this fighting to stop and have us live together peacefully. I'm sorry, Father, but I relinquish the title of Alice. I'm going to give back my sisters' Rosa Mysticas. I'm just tried of the Alice Game, and I don't want to play anymore."

The ever-present sadness in Rozen's eyes seemed to deepen, and a sense of disappointment seemed to join it. "Are you certain that this is what you want?"

Hesitatingly, Shinku nodded. "It is."

"I see…" Rozen closed his eyes and sighed. "Then you are a failure as well."

Shinku gasped. "W-What?"

"The perfect daughter would not turn away her father's love. You can't be my Alice. I thought you could be, but I was wrong." He turned his back on her. "Laplace."

The rabbit bowed. "Yes, sir?"

"Dispose of these two. I never want to see them again."

A wicked grin crept up the rabbit's face. "As you wish." He snapped his finger and a deck of poker cards flew out of his shirt sleeves and landed in his gloved hand. "Sorry about this, my dear, but you heard the master."

Shinku's eyes were wide with disbelief. "Father!"

Laplace shuffled the deck in thin air. "Time to dispose of the garbage."

He threw a card with the speed of a bullet. Shinku took to the air, narrowly missing being hit by the card. It sliced through the air, cutting straight through a pillar as if it were butter. With a smirk, Laplace took to the air as well, going after Shinku.

"Shinku!" Jun cried as she fled. He turned to Rozen. "What do you think you're doing? Stop this right now."

Rozen glanced at him. "She is just another failed attempt. She's nothing more than junk." He looked up at the two battling dolls. "And the only thing junk is good for is disposal."

"She's not junk!" Jun shouted. "None of the Rozen Maidens are! I can't believe you're doing this!"

"It's your fault." Rozen replied, not even caring enough to look at the boy. "You turned her against me."

"I did no such thing!" Jun argued. "All I did was make her realize the truth. That her so-called caring and loving father is nothing more than a cold-hearted selfish creep!"

Up above, Laplace continued throwing his cards at Shinku; some cutting through whatever they hit, others exploding upon impact. Though Shinku was fleeing for the moment, she could still fight. She did possess the powers of all seven Rozen Maidens now.

Tapping into Barasuishou's power, she threw a shower of purple crystal at the rabbit. Laplace threw his cards in the air and they spun around him, knocking the crystals away. Then they flew straight up in the air.

"Look out below." Laplace warned.

Shinku looked up and flew backwards as one of the cards, now the size of a school bus, dropped down from the sky. Down below, Jun had to jump out of the way as the giant card stabbed into the ground.

Several more enormous cards fell from the sky, which Shinku continued to avoid. At one point, several dozen came down at once. Shinku summoned Suiseiseki's watering can and showered the walls with magic water. Large thick roots grew from the walls, creating a protective barrier over her that the cards cut into, but were unable to go all the way through.

The watering can suddenly exploded in her hands, making her gasp. She looked back at Laplace and saw him holding a dice. He flicked it at her with great speed and she ducked. The dice exploded just over her head.

More and more dice kept appearing in Laplace's hand, which he proceeded to flick at her, causing more explosions. Shinku held up her hand and erected a barrier of red light, which the dice exploded against.

"Impressive." Laplace admitted. "Though I guess it's to be expected from the one who won the Alice Game."

He suddenly had several different colored handkerchiefs tide together in his hand, which he used like a whip. Shinku moved to the side, and the chain of handkerchiefs struck the wall with a loud _crack!_

He whipped again, but this time the whip wrapped around Shinku's cane that had suddenly appeared in her hand. Souseiseki's shears appeared in her other hand, which she used to cut the handkerchief chain.

She then flew at Laplace, wielding the shears as a weapon. Laplace smirked and was suddenly sucked inside his top hat. The hat then turned inside out and vanished. It reappeared several feet away, and Laplace popped out of it again. In his hands he held a large gold pocket watch.

As Shinku came at him again, he held up the watch and the hands began spinning around rapidly. "I'm afraid you're too late."

The shears in her hands suddenly rusted beyond use, as if a lot of time had gone by. Tossing the useless rusty shears aside, she called upon Suigintou's power and threw several black feathers at the rabbit. Laplace suddenly found himself pinned to the wall by the feathers.

Shinku was in front of him immediately, holding Barasuishou's crystal sword to his neck. But Laplace just chuckled. "Careful, my dear. If I die, the master dies as well."

Shinku gasped. It gave Laplace the opportunity he needed to knock her away and pull free of the feathers pinning him to the wall. He began miming juggling, and suddenly several Easter eggs were being juggles by him. He tossed one after another at Shinku, and they exploded into a shower of confetti and ribbons. These ribbons suddenly sprang to life and wrapped tightly around her.

"Oh dear." Laplace commented. "You seem to be a bit tied up."

Shinku glared at him and called upon her own power. Several rose petals appeared and sliced away at the ribbons, freeing her.

Laplace raised an eyebrow. "Well, well, it seems you still have some fight left in you."

Kanaria's violin suddenly appeared in Shinku's hands. "I have not yet begun to fight." She said, and began playing the violin with destructive sound waves.

"A musical duel then?" Laplace asked, and a silver flute appeared in his hands. "As you wish, Maestro Shinku."

He began playing the flute, creating equaling as destructive sound waves. The waves from the two slammed together, creating a sound of thunder. The two continued to play, but the sound waves they produced kept canceling each other out.

"And here's my solo." Laplace announced.

Rather than playing a note, he threw the flute at Shinku. It struck her violin, knocking it out of her hands.

"You know," said Laplace, "you're much too tense. You really need to," he took off his hat, "chill out!"

A powerful gust of icy wind blew out of his hat. He had created a powerful blizzard, covering everything in snow and icy.

Shinku shied away from the cold. Using Suigintou's power, large black crows wings grew out of her back and wrapped around her, shielding her from the cold.

"I'm through playing games with you, Laplace!" she cried.

Her wings suddenly became a large black dragon made entirely of feathers. It charged at Laplace, its mouth wide open to reveal sharp fangs. Laplace calmly reached into his suit and pulled out what seemed to be a large black rug. He carelessly tossed it in the air, where it opened up to reveal what it really was. A hole. Actually, a black hole was more like it, because it sucked up the dragon like a vacuum.

Laplace snatched the hole out of the air and folded it up before sticking it back inside his jacket in a very cartoon-like fashion. "My dear lady, I'm afraid we're not getting anywhere. Perhaps we should just end our little game."

"This isn't a game!" Shinku shouted.

Using Hinaichigo's power, she lashed out with several strawberry vines. The vines wrapped around Laplace, binding him tightly, yet the rabbit didn't seem worried in the least.

"Oh dear, it seems I'm in a bit of a bind."

He snapped his fingers and a curtain appeared in front of him. The curtain closed, hiding him from view, and when it opened again, he was gone. Shinku gasped in surprise and began looking around.

"Looking for me?" He was floating above her, spinning around a shiny black cane with a large gem at the top for a handle. "That was a nice try, but you're going to have to do better if you want to defeat me."

Shinku's cane appeared in her hand again. "I intend to."

She flew at him, swinging her cane. He blocked it with his own, and a sword fight with canes broke out.

"You know you are foolish." Laplace told her. "You could have had everything you've ever wanted. It was right there in front of you. All you had to do was take it."

"You're wrong." Shinku argued. "The closer I came to becoming Alice, the more I lost. I'm tired of having my destiny laid out before me. I want to choice my own destiny."

"As I said," Laplace replied, "you're a fool!"

Swinging his cane, he knocked away Shinku's, leaving her defenseless. Then he snapped his fingers and several rose vines grew out of the wall, wrapping around Shinku's arms, legs, and neck. Shinku gasped as the vines began pulling, nearly pulling her limbs out of their sockets.

"It can't be." She said. "How can you be this strong?"

Laplace chuckled. "Haven't you figured it out yet, my dear? You and your sisters may be players in this game, but I'm the referee. I call the shots. And I say that this game is over, and you lose."

The vines began pulling harder. Shinku cried out. It was like being caught by Suigintou all over again.

"Shinku, no!" Jun cried, looking on in horror.

"End it." Rozen ordered.

Laplace shrugged. "As you wish."

The vines pulled harder, and then, _pop!_ She came apart.

"SHINKU!"

Jun watched in horror as Shinku's limbs, head, and torso fell from the sky. The ring on his finger, which had been glowing with a warm red light, suddenly went cold and became cracked as the light faded away.

Up in the air, Laplace merely dusted himself off as if he had finished a rather unpleasant chore. Then he dropped down from the sky, landing beside Rozen.

Jun scrambled about frantically, gathering up Shinku's pieces and hugging them to his chest. He glared at Rozen and Laplace with the utmost hatred. "How could you do this? You have no right, no right at all!"

Rozen didn't show the smallest bit of sympathy. "Laplace, the Rosa Mysticas, please."

"Of course, sir."

He snapped his fingers. Jun gasped as the seven Rosa Mysticas emerged from Shinku's broken body and hovered over to the rabbit landing in his open hand.

"Give them back!" Jun demanded. "Give them back now."

"You expect me to waste them on those rejects?" Rozen asked calmly. "They're nothing more than junk."

"They're not junk!" Jun shouted. "None of them are, not even Suigintou! How dare you treat them as if they were disposable! They're not like your other dolls. They're living creatures! Now bring them back!"

"No."

Jun held Shinku's pieces tighter to his chest. "Then I will."

Rozen's lips curved into a small smile. "That's impossible. Once a soul has departed, it can't be summoned back."

"Don't tell me what I can't do!" Jun shouted. "I said I would protect Shinku, and I'm going to keep that promise!"

There was a flash of light. It was coming from the cracked ring on Jun's finger. The cracks vanished and the ring grew hot, glowing brightly. From out of the small rose on it emerged a needle of gold light and a thread of red light. The pieces of Shinku that Jun held floated out of his hand and the thread wrapped around them. Each piece came together and Shinku was repaired, as good as new.

A dream portal suddenly opened above them and the bodies of Hinaichigo and Souseiseki floated down. Then the bodies of Suiseiseki, Kanaria, Suigintou, and Barasuishou floated over as well and the seven dolls began rotating around Jun as the thread of light wrapped around each of them in turn, repairing the damage.

Rozen's eyes were, for once, wide with surprise rather than laced with sadness. "This can't be. No one can summon them back… Unless… Are you a…?"

Laplace sudden gasped as the Rosa Mysticas flashed brightly and jumped out of his hand, each one returning to its original owner. One by one, each of the dolls' eyes opened, their attention shifting to Jun.

"Jun…" Shinku whispered.

He gave her a smile. "Hey, Shinku. Welcome back."

"No!" Rozen snapped. "You are all nothing but junk. I will not allow myself to have imperfect creations. None of you can be Alice. You're nothing but junk! Laplace!"

"Sir?"

"Get them out of my sight."

The rabbit nodded. "As you wish."

As he stepped forward, each of the Rozen Maidens, including Barasuishou, went to meet him. They each raised their hand and unleashed their magic. Laplace was blasted by a powerful beam of light that he was unable to stop. When the beam of light vanished, he looked down to find several cracks in his chest. Desperately, he turned to Rozen, holding his arms out helplessly as the cracks spread further.

"Master…"

Suddenly his body exploded in a shower of sparks and a burst of light. Rozen cried out, his eyes wide with shock. Beads of light emerged from Laplace's destroyed body in large quantity and begin swirling around Rozen until he was caught in a sphere of light.

"ALICE!"

The light vanished and the doll maker was gone. In his place were the broken remains of a doll that greatly resembled the great Rozen.

"He's gone." Jun muttered.

"Destroying Laplace ended his life." Shinku whispered. Tears began creeping up in her eyes. "Oh, Father…"

Jun's ring suddenly flashed brightly, brighter than ever before, blinding them all.

"What? What is this?" Jun cried. "What's going on?"

The light vanished and everything went black.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Jun groaned. His head was killing him. What had happened? The last thing he remembered was being with Shinku, and then…

His eyes snapped open. "Shinku!"

He was in the closet, the one with the mirror in it that they always used to get around. Lying on the ground were the seven Rozen Maiden dolls. Not one of them moved.

"Shinku!" Jun cried, gathering her in his arms and shaking her. "Shinku! Shinku! Wake up! Please, Shinku, open your eyes!" He gasped as he realized something. "She's cold. She feels like… a real doll."

Stunned, his grip slackened and Shinku fell out of his hands. She didn't complain about being dropped like she should have. Didn't kick him in the shin, or whack him with her hair, or call him as terrible servant. She just laid there unmoving like an ordinary doll.

Fearing the worst, Jun went to each of the dolls, checking each one and calling them out by name. "Hinaichigo, come on, get up, I'll take you to see Tomoe. Suiseiseki, don't you want to call me a lousy human, or something like that? Souseiseki, Kanaria, Suigintou, Barasuishou! Come on everyone, Detective Kun Kun is starting."

But try as he might, he couldn't get any of the dolls to respond. Looking at his hand, he saw only a scar where his ring used to be. The ring itself was gone, just like the life in the Rozen Maiden dolls.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Jun wept himself to sleep that night. Both he and his sister grieved for the loss of the Rozen Maidens, but there was nothing they could do for them. Nothing worked, not even their windup keys. It seemed as if the dolls had simply become just that, dolls.

After many hours of crying, Jun had finally fallen into a restless sleep. He dreamed of Shinku, of all the good times they had together. Among those times were the many arguments they had. Even though Jun had complained all the time, he was actually very happy with the way his life had been. He just wished things could go back to normal. He'd give anything just to see her again.

"Jun…"

The dream was so real. He could almost hear her voice.

"Jun…"

It actually sounded as if she was right there next to him.

"Honestly, Jun, how much longer are you going to sleep?"

Jun's eyes snapped open. Someone standing right over him. No, there were several people standing over him.

Startled, Jun jumped up, fully awake. "Huh? What?"

"Jun!" Hinaichigo cried, hugging him suddenly. "Hina's so happy you're awake."

"Hina?" asked Jun. He looked around, spotting the other Rozen Maidens. "You're all here." That's when he noticed something different. "Hey, wait a minute, what happen to you? You're… you're…"

"Human." Suiseiseki finished for him. "Yes, looks like I can't insult you for being a puny human anymore."

"It seems we've all come back as humans." Said Souseiseki. She studied her hands. "It feels strange, but I suppose I'll get used to it."

"I'm just happy to be complete." Said Suigintou. "Now no one can look down on me. In fact, I think I may be the most beautiful out of all of you."

"Well Kanaria is the cutest!" cried Kanaria. "I can't wait to show Mitsu my new body. Hmm, I wonder if she'll be disappointed."

Jun looked at each of the Rozen Maidens in disbelief. They were all indeed human, each of them around the same age as him. "I thought… I thought you guys were gone forever. How is this possible?"

"It seems your power was even greater than I thought." Shinku told him. "We owe it all to you, Jun."

"Now Hina can go to school with Jun and Tomoe!" the energetic Hinaichigo shouted. "Hina is so happy!"

The door to Jun's room suddenly burst open and Nori ran in. "Jun, what's the matter? What's all the noise?" She froze upon seeing the Rozen Maidens. The _human_ Rozen Maidens. "Wha…"

"Nori, good morning." Said Shinku politely.

Nori stared at them in shock, then her eyes filled with tears and she rushed towards them, hugging as many as she could at once. "You're back! Thank goodness! I'm so glad! I thought you'd all died!"

Suigintou's eyes widened. "Died…" she whispered. "That reminds me, I have to go. I need to see… a friend of mine while I still can."

"You have a friend?" asked Barasuishou sarcastically. "That's a first."

Suiseiseki cut her eyes at her. "Why'd you have to come back too?"

Barasuishou smirked and flicked her sister on the forehead. "Because life would be dull without me around."

"Hey, Nori, can Hina have some unyuu?"

Kanaria blinked. "What's unyuu?"

"Strawberry dumplings." Suiseiseki replied, rubbing her forehead. "Puny-ichigo is still such a child."

"Hina is not a child!"

Shinku sighed. "Honestly, why must they be so noisy in the morning." She turned to Jun. "Jun, go downstairs and make some tea."

Jun blinked. "Huh? Hey wait a minute, why do I have to do it? You can do it yourself, especially now that you're big enough to reach the door."

_Slap!_ Shinku flipped her hair, smacking Jun in the face with it. "It seems you still don't understand your position, servant."

"Servant?" Jun cried angrily. "You're not a doll anymore. I don't have to serve you."

"My now being human is irrelevant. You swore to serve me for eternity."

Suiseiseki cut her eyes at the boy. "And you're my medium too, don't forget."

Jun just growled. "Why you… Get out of my room!"

**THE END**

**(A/N: That ends that. It was just a short one-shot. Even when they revealed that the guy we thought was Rozen was actually his apprentice, I still thought the real Rozen was rather heartless, though he did come off like a tragic character to me. I'm not sure how much my story differs from the manga since I have yet to read it, but this was sort of the way I envisioned the anime ending before I saw how it actually ended. Hope you liked it.)**


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